


The Facts

by hisboywriter



Category: Young Avengers
Genre: M/M, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-04
Updated: 2013-02-04
Packaged: 2017-11-28 04:22:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/670213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hisboywriter/pseuds/hisboywriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>By the time Teddy found himself daydreaming about Billy, he had collected six facts and one suspicion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Facts

**-X-**

By the time Teddy found himself daydreaming about Billy, he had collected six facts and one suspicion.

 

_Billy_

**nothing really good. kinda want**

**to  see MIB 3 but w/ movie tickets**

**(aka free)lol**

Said facts and suspicion pertained to the boy of his affection, of course, and they were bits of Billy that the mage had not openly supplied. For instance, he and the guys knew that Billy was a movie buff; he had an outrageous memory when it came to the big screen and often provided them with details they had forgotten about.

Teddy smiled at the text, pausing in mid-changing as he replied back. They were meeting in about an hour and still hadn’t decided on plans.

_Me_

**haha if u want to see it I can treat u**

What the other guys didn’t know—and this was fact number one—was Billy’s aversion to horror films. More so was the mage’s attempt to prevent the others from knowing he disliked said horror movies so much. It was most likely due to Teddy’s admiration-from-a-distance that he caught on to it; Billy would narrowly squeeze out of a conversation on the path to scary movie discussion, he always had a reason (an excuse, in Teddy’s mind) to decline an invite to the latest terrible slasher remake, and more than once Teddy spotted Billy slip into a room where Eli was watching a horror piece, only to backpedal on out of there before anyone else noticed.

Teddy didn’t know why Billy bothered keeping it a secret, if it really was one. He could only attribute it to it somehow damaging the mage’s reputation as a movie expert or, maybe, Billy thought it would make him look like a pansy or something—damage to his newly acquired superhero title?

Just once Teddy thought about confronting him about it in a friendly way. But then his infatuated self ran with the thought and made the scenario too complicated.

_Billy_

**no!! u paid last time I owe u.**

**tell me what u wanna watch**

Had any traces of Greg remained in Teddy, he could charm Billy into watching a scary movie, convince him that it was fun in the comfort of his home. It wouldn’t be difficult; Greg had done that sort of thing countless times, all to get a girl closer to him (usually physically). Yet no matter how Teddy looked at it, it was underhanded and still a form of abuse, whether the intentions were malicious or not. The fact that he his mind went back to Greg was enough to make him shiver.

Teddy swatted the thoughts away and shook his head for good measure. He wasn’t like Greg.

He replied back, grateful it was a distraction from his thoughts.

_Me_

**we don’t HAVE to watch a movie**

**u know. we could grab food?**

**try the new burger joint maybe?**

 

Fact number two: While most knew that Billy was Jewish, Teddy recognized that the other boy was rarely kosher in his presence alone. In groups, the mage seemed to make an effort in sticking to the restrictions, though Teddy learned firsthand that neither Kaplan parent was very strict about it anyway. After noting the patterns, Teddy wouldn’t admit to anyone that he had researched kosher diets to see if there was a more logical reason for Billy’s lack of control around him.

When he didn’t find anything, Teddy didn’t know what to make of it. He liked to think that Billy just didn’t mind about that sort of thing with him and thus, it meant Billy was much more at ease around him. Silly, but it made Teddy smile in secret.

_Billy_

**not that hungry but is that the 1**

**by the comic shop??**

Teddy grinned, expecting that response.

_Me_

**that’s it. let’s meet @ comics then?**

_Billy_

**see u there!**

Teddy saw the giddy smilie even though Billy didn’t add it to his text. Then again, Teddy’s face couldn’t have been far from giddy himself as he wrapped up getting ready and hurried out with a bounce in his step.

Fact 3: Billy was a total and hopeless fanboy.

Both Eli and Nathan knew Billy and Teddy indulged in comics but only Teddy  _really_  knew that the mage consumed them like a drug. As informative as he was about movies, he was some kind of prodigy when it came to comics and was the type who enjoyed predicting what would happen next and gesticulating dramatically when something unbelievable happened in the pages.

Suited Teddy just fine, really. He was just as enthusiastic, if not more so for the sole purpose of being the lucky guy who got to watch the display that was Billy in fanboy mode. It was in its own way adorable and Teddy, on multiple occasions, fantasized them pressed against each other on the bed, sharing a comic issue together.

Upon arriving at the comic book store, there was no trace of Billy outside because he was already inside, face up in all the comics’ business. Teddy already knew he would be but lingered outside the windows a moment to absorb the subtle facial shifts in the boy’s face as he devoured an Avengers issue, his hands cradling the comic book like it was the Holy Grail itself.

Teddy admired the image for a handful of seconds more and then entered before he could rouse awkward glances. Instead of greeting Billy traditionally, Teddy stepped up beside him and said, “I heard they all die in that issue.”

Billy’s head whipped up, eyes wide for an instant. Then he burst into a low laugh and returned the issue. “Gee, thanks for spoiling it. What, do they all explode?”

“Drown, actually,” Teddy said, watching him pluck another comic, “inside a whale.”

At that, Billy narrowed his eyes and pulled his nose out of the issue. “A whale?”

“Yeah, you know the one from Pinocchio?” Teddy resisted grinning and pretended to browse.

“You mean Monstro?”

Teddy’s smile widened. Billy the movie expert indeed. “Yeah, that one. He ate them all.”

“I thought you said they  _drowned_.”

“That too.”

“Teddy,” Billy laughed, harder this time, and shook his head, “next you’re going to tell me that Captain America is really from France.”

“Argentina, actually. Captain Americano.” It was probably the lamest joke (if one could call it that) he’d ever said but it was worth it the way Billy snickered between the pages of the comic he held.

“That was terrible.”

“Terrible,” Teddy pronounced in broken Spanish, earning him a chortle and eye roll. Stupid jokes were so worth it because fact number 4: Billy laughed at all his ridiculous jokes. Hard as the mage resisted, a betraying twitch would serve as the preamble to a laugh that had Teddy’s heart soaring.

At first, Teddy had never been one to laugh at cheesy lines, let alone be a supplier of one. It had started two months ago when Billy was slouched on a bench at a park after training, sulking so much his shadow looked miserable. Whatever problem made him hunch so much, Teddy hadn’t known. He did know that Billy deserved a pick-me-up and, after approaching the mage, Teddy had aimed to do just that.

Problem was, he hadn’t been sure how to address the matter delicately and Billy was just staring at him so he had blurted out, “Did you know that the only bone a dog won’t eat is a trombone?”

Billy had laughed so hard—maybe in disbelief at what Teddy had spewed out—and that was that.

Since then, Teddy experimented with how awful he could make his jokes before Billy only rolled his eyes at him. As of yet, he was going strong despite how deep into the corny pool he’d gone.  Best part was, the stupid jokes seemed to function if and only if Teddy delivered them.

“Terrible is right,” Billy said, laugh down to a chuckle, “So, Captain America’s nationality aside, Jacob has to do some practicing tonight at home so I definitely don’t want to be back early. You getting anything?”

Teddy perused his options and eventually shook his head. “No,” he said with a shrug, “gotta save up anyway.”

“Oh? What for?”

Teddy blinked and pressed his lips together harder than necessary; he didn’t want to blurt out the truth. Billy’s birthday was drawing near and while he wasn’t one for showering lavish gifts, he wanted the financial cushion in case he spotted the perfect gift for the mage.

All he told Billy, however, was, “Just saving. I think I’ve been spending too much on comics lately. I usually have to ask my mom for an extra few bucks here and there just go out and eat with you guys.”

“Ah, I know that feeling,” Billy said with a nod. He did a final glance at the available comics and Teddy knew he was ready to leave when the mage crammed his hands into the front pocket of his hoodie.

That was fact five: Billy Kaplan’s hands were victim to a constant cold.

This one always made Teddy grin secretly. For a superhero whose hands emanated magic, it was kind of charming that said hands were not warm, brimming with hidden and heated power. It never seemed to bother Billy though. In fact, he was almost oblivious to the fact until Teddy had brought it up.

That was the part that made Teddy giddy inside—how he came to learn about the fact. As of late, he and Billy sparred together often. This was a result of Teddy’s large size and shape-shifting abilities. Out of the guys, he was the one who could endure Billy’s little foul ups best and recover quickly from them should he be on the bad end of one. Of course, Teddy wouldn’t admit that a part of that was because he didn’t mind being chucked around if it meant Billy was improving. Whether that made him a specific kind of masochist, Teddy didn’t think too much on.

It was during these sparring sessions, often when Teddy was down and Billy rushing over in a flurry of apologetic gestures, that the blonde felt those icy hands on his skin. At first, Teddy thought it had been a figment of his own doing. When the object of your affection puts their hands on you, he figured a chill was normal. Once it occurred multiple times, Teddy had to face the truth that Billy really did just have incredibly cold hands, regardless of the weather.

Like now, it was a decent day that didn’t require a jacket but here was Billy, hands stuffed in his pocket. While he wasn’t bothered by the cold, Teddy noticed he still pocketed his hands more often than not. Maybe it was a habit born from childhood or something. Either way, Teddy wondered if someday he could offer to warm those hands up.

“You okay?” Billy was asking.

Teddy blinked, realizing he had been staring at the bump in Billy’s pocket. Someone up there liked him today because they had been walking down the street and the blonde had yet to trip or crash into someone due to his ogling. “Oh, no, sorry,” he cleared his throat and thought quickly, “so what’s this dance your brother has to do?”

Seemingly satisfied by the apology, Billy faced forward again and shrugged. All the while Teddy tried to pinpoint where Billy’s eyes traveled to, which was difficult if you didn’t want to look like a creeper. “Something his class is doing,” Billy answered, “all the classes are doing some kind of performance or creative project for the Hoedown at his school next weekend.”

“Hoedown?”

Billy looked at him when they reached a stop light. “Yeah, you know, a big farm theme. It’s supposed to be for fun. It’s after school for a few hours and there is food, dancing, little kid games. They have it every year,” he paused to smile a bit sheepishly, “you wanna come?”

Teddy cursed the angle of the sun, unsure if Billy had a faint blush across the bridge of his nose. “What do you mean? I can go?”

“Yeah, families are welcomed. It’s free too. You only pay for food you eat or for tickets for the games,” Billy said, and Teddy swore he heard a tremble of hopefulness lining his words.

At that possibility, Teddy returned the smile and said, “Yeah, that sounds like it could be fun. I just gotta make sure it’s fine with my mom. Do I have to dress up like a cowboy?”

The laugh he received for that was music to his ear. “You can,” Billy said, picking up the pace again. Teddy wasn’t sure where he was being led but, frankly, didn’t care. “Jacob has to dress up for the dance. I’m actually supposed to see if I find any good places that have cowboy hats or boots for him.”

Teddy reached out, clasping the other boy on the shoulder and steering him in another direction. “I know the perfect place,” he said, glancing over. He didn’t get a particular response from the touch even when he dropped it. He tried to not feel bothered by that.

A few blocks down and two bad jokes later, Teddy entered a department store and made straight toward the accessories. “I was here last week with my mom. I think I saw-Ah, look! Over there,” he said, pointing.

But Billy wasn’t looking at him, instead eyes jumping to and from the islands of clothes hanging on circular racks. “Yeah?” he said, half distracted. He gravitated toward the junior’s section, which was the most expansive in terms of clothes.

“Hey, where are you going?” Teddy jogged after him, unsure what pulled a small smile out of Billy but he enjoyed it all the same.

“Was just remembering something,” Billy answered, still studying the bunches of clothes, “man, this kind of store was my favorite as a kid. I don’t see many places with these circle shaped racks. My mom would do some shopping and I’d get so bored so I learned about this one game.”

“Game?” Teddy scanned the area, unsure how someone could fabricate a game from what he was seeing.

Billy studied him curiously. “Didn’t you ever do that?”

Teddy looked at a rack with tops for girls as though it could provide him with an answer. “I don’t think so,” he admitted, shrugging one shoulder, “how so?”

Like accepting a challenge, Billy grinned and shoved at his shoulders until Teddy obliged, facing the other way so his back was to the junior’s section. “Okay, wait like fifteen seconds and then turn around,” he ordered from behind.

A little shiver nearly seized Teddy’s spine at the hands on his back—and this time not because he could feel Billy’s cold hands. “And then what?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Don’t look,” Billy scolded and pushed Teddy’s jaw forward with two cold fingers, “just count and turn around after. Okay?”

“Erm…okay. Do I have to count aloud?” he asked, eyes darting around without budging his head. There were a good amount of people browsing, almost all girls.

“If you want the attention, sure.” Billy chuckled from behind and then his presence was gone.

Teddy sighed, unable to resist humoring the mage or wonder how they deterred from the path so easily. He tried to look busy on his phone so as not to disturb anyone while the numbers counted down inside his head. When he hit twelve, he saw a girl reaching for clothes at the rack he blocked. He offered an apology and turned around early to find Billy, early count or not.

Of course Billy wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Teddy frowned and went around some dresses. “Billy?” he called out, as quietly as he could in a store. Amidst the music exuding from the ceiling, he could hear a few conversations peppered around him.

“Billy,” he hissed, smiling in passing to a couple of girls who eyed him suspiciously. He cleared his throat and called his friend’s name again and tried  _really_  hard to not look embarrassed as he weaved through the islands of clothing not intended for guys.

He stopped, refusing to breach the line that would tip him into the undergarments. Quick to turn on his heels again, he spotted movement in an isle of jeans that were marked on sale. With a few sparing glances, Teddy approached it when it was safe and hesitantly swept some away, revealing a crack into the center of the rack where a mischievous albeit familiar face greeted him.

“Billy?” Teddy blurted out around an incredulous laugh.

“Found me.” Billy matched the laugh and ducked his head to join Teddy on the carpet again.

“You were there the whole time? Just hiding?” Teddy couldn’t quell the dubious look on his face.

Billy patted himself down, looking grateful to not be cramped up anymore. “I played it all the time with my mom as a kid. I gotta say it’s still kind of fun,” he said around a goofy, loveable smile.

Shaking his head at that, Teddy only hoped no one saw Billy crawl out of his hiding spot like some peeper. “So…did I just play Hide- and-Seek with you?”

“That’s right,” Billy said and prodded Teddy’s shoulder with one digit, “Now it’s your turn.”

Before Teddy could protest, the mage faced away from him and started counting. Aloud.

The idea had no merit, no…sense, to some degree. At least that’s what Teddy convinced himself as he heard Billy count down. But when the other boy hit eight seconds, seven seconds, six seconds, those thoughts ran for the hills, abandoning him with a ridiculous smile.

With an eye roll at how absurd he was being—really, what was he, five?—Teddy felt the rush of the chase hit him hard enough to send him jogging across the department store, up the escalator, and to the furniture department.

When Billy jumped him from behind, signaling he had been caught (and in two minutes!), Teddy received further proof of fact number six: Billy was not a shy person.

He reevaluated that as he peeked between men’s suits, trained for sounds that might give the mage away. Upon their first meeting, Billy was the epitome of a shy guy or, rather, looked like one. By now Teddy understood that big muscular guys innately rubbed Billy the wrong way given his past history with beatings so, being a prime example of that description, Teddy had attained a reluctant handshake and little eye contact from the other boy.

In little time, however, Teddy learned that those layers on Billy were not of insecurities or extended shyness. They were built to establish distance; they were protection against what had normally been a less than kind world to the mage. All Billy needed was a little reassurance that, really, he was okay and could bond with others his age without fear of rejection or abuse.

At the core of it all, Billy was truly a vibrant person, merely exposing that piece of himself with those individuals that gave him an excuse to lower those defenses. True, to strangers, he still seemed quiet and shy but with some devoted time they could unleash the bold, playful Billy that Teddy was hunting for right now.

Nate and Eli knew that Billy was fun, sometimes stubborn, but if Teddy were a gambling guy he would bet that only he got to see Billy in his most unrestricted form. Maybe it was because Teddy offered pieces of himself—like his terrible jokes—and Billy found it natural to reply by sillying himself up. Or maybe he was just prone to being as raw as he wanted around Teddy because…well, just because?

Teddy contemplated the ‘because’ as he spoiled the child inside of him via Hide-and-Seek with Billy, in a department store no less. By the third time he was seeker, he deemed himself a professional at unearthing Billy and couldn’t remember the last time his lips hurt from smiling so much. It was far more fun than it probably should have been.

Fun aside, he should have anticipated the end result by the accumulating odd looks people were throwing their way. When it was Teddy’s sixth time to hide and he felt the shift of women’s nightgowns, his grin was not met with Billy and not well received by the security officer.

Being banned wasn’t all that bad.

“I’ve never been escorted out by security  _ever_ ,” Billy muttered, a dim blush on his face, once they were out of ear’s reach from anyone having anything to do with the department store.

Teddy on the other hand couldn’t contain his snickering. “I can’t believe we got in trouble,” he said, shoulders rocking, “but God, it was worth it. Who needs their overpriced cowboy hats anyway?”

At that, Billy grew a delighted look. “Yeah? You aren’t mad?”

“Why would I be mad?”

“I did kind of start the whole thing. It was,” Billy paused, searching for the word, “juvenile.”

Teddy exhaled hard now that he could breathe again, free of giggling interruptions. “I think even superheroes deserve a day to act like kids. You think Spide- Man doesn’t enjoy a good game of Hide-and-Seek?”

“I’d love to play Hide-and-Seek with Spider-Man,” Billy chirped, collapsing into a bench.

Their exile landed them near the park and Teddy flopped down beside him, basking in the weather as though they were recently released criminals. “Good way to pass time. Not planned, but fun,” he said, showering in Billy’s enjoyment. Billy, shy? Teddy couldn’t see it anymore, even in the company of strangers.

“Well, now what?” Billy sank bank into the bench, hands in his pocket. “Hide-and-Seek isn’t as fun at the park.”

“No lingerie to hide in,” Teddy said, battling another onslaught of laughter, “I still find it hard to imagine you hiding there. Didn’t anyone give you a weird look?”

“Pretty sure that one girl who saw me hide there was the one who told on us,” Billy wiped his eyes at the memory, a new blush crawling up his face, “I didn’t think you would find me there.”

Teddy chuckled through his nose and stretched his arms across the back of the bench. He revisited the moment when he braved fingering through the risqué attire to uncover the hidden mage behind them. It had been a bold move, true, on Billy’s part, and it had stirred a curious feeling in the pit of Teddy’s gut.

He pressed his lips hard together, convincing himself to say what was on his mind. He didn’t, only managing to continue the earlier topic. “Well, my mom’s out for a while. We could, if you want I mean, just…I don’t know, hang out there and watch some movies or shows?” He didn’t dare look at Billy, yet still wanted to sweeten the deal. “She made an amazing casserole we could have and I’m pretty sure we just bought some stuff to make microwave smores.”

Again, he pushed his lips into a fine line so he wouldn’t ramble on like he knew he would. As articulate as he was, Billy shattered that by being Billy. It was less a fumble on Teddy’s part because of his interest in the boy and more to do with that one suspicion he had of Billy—a suspicion he didn’t know how to confirm on his own.

The suspicion: Billy was gay.

It was a nerve racking one at that. He couldn’t very well ask the mage. Well, he  _could_  and risk the impending awkwardness following it. Even if he assured Billy there was nothing wrong with being gay before the mage could answer, all the possible scenarios always turned sour in his mind.

Currently, all he depended on were clues, none of which were foolproof. Like today, as Billy goofed around the girl’s clothing section, he never once looked at the clothing or girls shopping with a sexual eye. When they were walking earlier, he hadn’t displayed inklings to stare at girls. To Teddy’s recollection, Billy never had, whether in his presence or with the other guys, nor had he brought up girls in that kind of way.

That was really all Teddy had to go on. There weren’t any particular mannerisms in Billy that might compare to an effeminate, gay man and Teddy knew better to rely on that. Sometimes though he wondered if the beatings Billy endured was a result of someone retaliating because he was gay but there were two issues with that. One was the difficulty of prying for answers, given that Billy had never disclosed in detail he had been bullied (Teddy presumed that), let alone say why he was targeted. Two, the very hint of that truth gave birth to a terrible, rare anger that burned Teddy’s gut so he avoided thinking about it altogether.

So was his invitation to his mom’s place a misguided attempt to secure an answer once and for all? Would he put the moves on Billy just to see what the reaction would be? That was stupid. Even if Billy was gay, he could be in the closet and refute everything.

 _Shut up, shut up_ , Teddy told himself, shaking his head to see if that would stop his mental rambling. There was still the first issue to address: whether Billy would even accept his offer.

“Actually, that sounds pretty nice,” Billy said, quieter than what was typical.

“Oh.” Teddy stole a glance at him, saw the mage’s lips pressed in a line like his own were moments earlier. “Sure,” he said, a little louder and with oomph as the realization sunk into his bones, prompting him to hop off the seat, “I’ll let you pick what you want to watch.”

Of course it would be nothing scary, he thought, as Billy slid off the bench.

They strolled back to Teddy’s place, their steps drowned out by the sounds of their conversing and once by Teddy’s phone chiming—his mother approving of having company over. It was just another piece about Billy that Teddy enjoyed. They always did have little trouble engaging and holding a conversation and when they didn’t, the silence was comforting on its own.

That same silence trickled over them when they reached the door to Teddy’s house. For a moment, he wished he had tidied up his room a bit more. The thought drifted away when he remembered they would be watching movies, which meant the living room was their base of operations for now.

“Go ahead and make yourself comfortable,” he said, locking the door behind him, “I’ll get you something to drink. Any preference?”

“Thanks. Erm, water is okay for now.”

“Iced? Lemon wedge? Bendy straw?”

Billy waved him off with a chuckle. “Yeah, throw in a lobster dinner while you’re at it. Just ice is okay. I can help with setting the food up.”

“Nope, I’m the host. Go sit and turn the console on to get Netflix up. Feel free to pick whatever,” Teddy said before stepping into the kitchen. He worked faster than normal, eager to settle in beside the mage on the couch sooner rather than later. He took two trips before he was doing just that, offering Billy a plate with food on it.

The first movie Billy picked was Labyrinth, justifying it by saying he was feeling nostalgic. Teddy was sure he’d seen it as a kid but any details beyond David Bowie and a labyrinth being involved was out of his reach. With that lack of memory, one would think he would dive into the magical world and immerse himself in forgotten details. Try as he might, the entire length of the movie he returned to Billy.

At times their knees would bumps, rarely arms brushed when reaching for their drinks. There was also Billy smiling widely at endearing moments, or engrossed in one scene, chuckling, and other little things that captivated Teddy more than the singing puppets on the screen.

He was just  _itching_  to put a move on despite knowing he wouldn’t. If only he could just ask Billy, confirm his suspicion so he could add one more fact to his list and, admittedly, let his fantasies run more amuck.

When the film ended, Teddy didn’t have to fib how entertaining the time had been spent. Granted, the entertainment came from Billy more than the movie. Details.

And still he was just aching to step into the shallow end of his suspicions. “I forgot how tight David Bowie’s pants were in the movie,” he joked, watching Billy stretch, “my mom has a huge crush on him.”

Billy rolled his eyes, smiling anyway. “My mom too but I don’t think she’d admit it.”

Darn. No comment about the pants. Next try. “Well, he is a fun performer and isn’t bad to look at.”

That time he got a reaction, however faint. Billy glanced at him (timidly?) and dropped his eyes to his plate as though it were very interesting. “You think so?”

“Sure,” Teddy said, devouring every reaction. He almost asked if Billy thought the same but he sensed the unease almost instantly like a draft upsetting a comfortable temperature in the room. He backed off instantly, not wanting to be the one to put Billy on the spot.

He guessed there was really only one other alternative if he were to make progress tonight. So, he offered the biggest piece of himself with a casual shrug and tried to act like his heart wasn’t clamoring up in his throat.

“Then again, I’m gay so I might be a bit biased.”

Teddy braced himself.

It got him a reaction if he ever got one. Billy snapped his head up to pierce him with a look Teddy couldn’t dissect, which was frustrating and exciting and terrifying all at once for the shape-shifter. Was there a gleam of joy there for a second?

Teddy couldn’t analyze the expression further because the mage lowered his eyes as if knowing his emotions ran over his face easily. “O-Oh, yeah?” Billy gave a little laugh and fiddled with his fingers. “Well, I mean…”

Good, Billy wasn’t bothered by his homosexuality, though Teddy figured that out early on enough. Billy wasn’t the type that gave vibes of discriminating. Still, there was something in his reaction that tickled Teddy’s chest and he almost leaned closer just so he could pinpoint what it was.

“He’s not exactly my type but I can’t say he’s unattractive,” Teddy added with a chuckle.

Billy finally looked at him again and there was no misdiagnosing the blush on his face. “Yeah, he’s not,” he started, a kind of smile on his face Teddy hadn’t seen since their meeting, “really my type either.”

Teddy quieted his breathing, worried the sound might disrupt the honesty Billy was divulging. He didn’t speak, smiling being his response and his way of encouraging the mage to keep talking.

It worked. Billy crossed his legs under him and looked at the television despite their being only the menu screen. “I was…wondering a bit about that,” he admitted, cracking a more familiar smile at Teddy, “I didn’t want to ask.”

“How come?” Teddy could guess why but he was curious for the reply nonetheless. Not that he could say anything else with the way his heart making it a priority to leap out of his chest.

“Well, I don’t have a problem with it. If someone asks, I won’t lie. I’m not ashamed of it but that doesn’t mean other people are ready to talk about that,” Billy said, his face softening so much it was borderlining pity, “Weird, isn’t it? It’s normal. There’s nothing wrong with it and yet we still have people worried about it because others have problems with it.”

The way he said it told Teddy plenty. A familiar resentment uncoiled in his gut, its fingers creeping up into his heart and replacing the feeling with something else. Grief, he thought. Grief over Billy’s experience with people who had problems with him being different (by their standards).

Silence weighed down on them, more out of necessity than anything else. Teddy’s pulse plummeted at Billy’s face, as though the other boy was grappling with memories he should have triumphed over ages ago. His body language was heavy, tense lines riddling around his eyes, reminding Teddy of that one day after training.

After a moment and gathering some self-assurance, Teddy nudged him with his knee. “Hey,” he said, “did you know I went to a seafood disco last week?”

Billy stepped out of his memories and narrowed an eye at him. “Huh? “

At the perplexed expression, Teddy turned up the wattage of his smile and said, “Yeah, I pulled a muscle.”

Staring. A lot of it and, for a moment, Teddy thought his streak broke.

It lasted second and an eternity and then Billy’s head was tipped back on the couch, a deep laugh rumbling out of his throat. “Oh, my God,” he gasped between fits, “what? What was that? Did you really say that? I can’t…”

Teddy caught the contagious sound and figured he could spend the whole night watching and listening to Billy laughing. He didn’t know how long they rode it out but at some point Billy was clutching his side and complaining of abdominal pain.

“Sorry,” Teddy huffed, wiping an eye.

“Oh, man,” Billy exhaled hard while his arms collapsed at his sides, “I can only imagine what your pick up lines are like.”

“Do you have the time?” Teddy asked.

Billy tilted his head to shoot him a quirked eyebrow. When Teddy didn’t say more, he humored him by answering, “Well, according to your cable box it’s a quarter after six.”

“No, no,” Teddy shook his head, “I mean the time to write down my number?”

“Shut up!” Billy laughed, shoving a strong thigh with his socked foot. “You’re going to be the death of me,” he went on around broken chuckling, sounding absolutely winded, “just picture my gravestone. The only person who really died from laughing too much.”

Teddy sighed in satisfaction and drooped further into the furniture. “I’ll have more for you tomorrow, then to prove you wrong. You’re free?”

Around his less than steady breathing, Billy replied, “Um, yeah, actually. How come?”

“Just thought maybe you’d like to spend another day forgetting about those other people who have problems with you.”

That earned Teddy the brightest smile he’d seen all day. “Just a couple of gay guys having a blast?” Billy asked.

Teddy laughed at the double meaning. “Well, I hear the blonde one is pretty awesome at those carnival games. I think this is the last weekend before the fair ends.”

“Sounds like a day I can’t miss,” Billy said, sitting up so he could dig out the remote.

Looking to see the titles scrolls across the screen, Teddy felt his heart pattering against his chest  again. Only this time it was so loud Billy must have heard it unless his heavy breathing masked it. The stupid smile wasn’t ready to leave Teddy’s lips any time soon either and tonight he would imagine all the circumstances in which he and Billy ended up on a date.

Later tonight though. He had made enough strides for today.

Billy selected episode one of Sherlock this time, set the remote on the table, and sat a couple inches closer to Teddy when he sagged back into the cushion. “Thanks, Teddy,” he said quietly.

Not needing to ask about the gratitude, Teddy accepted the boost of confidence it gave him and stretched his arm so it rested on Billy’s shoulder long enough for a squeeze. By the start of the show, Teddy had seven facts about Billy all to himself.

He was, however, ignorant to how many facts Billy had about him.

In total, Billy had eleven facts, one suspicion, and, after tonight’s new revelation, a heck of a lot of fantasies.

**-X-**


End file.
